A Night Like This
by tjmack
Summary: He should have expected this, he knew he should have. Yet, he couldn't deny that she wasn't adorable like this. Drunk!Emma, Sober!Graham, Fluff abounds.


Graham shook his head, as Emma downed the remaining amount of the amber liquid in her glass. If that had only been her second or third, Graham wouldn't have thought twice about it. He had seen Emma down four glasses of whiskey without being tipsy. However, after she finished her sixth glass, he felt the need to cut her off.

"Come on, Emma. You've had enough."

Emma glared at Graham, her blue eyes unfocused. She pointed in his general direction, as she weaved on the bar stool. "I'll tell you when I've had enough." She sputtered out, before leaning forward. "Graham, make the room stop, I want to get off the ride."

Graham chuckled as he turned his head to look at Ruby walking toward her. His mouth opened, but she held up a hand.

Ruby leaned forward to make sure that herself and Graham were the only ones that could hear her. "I am so sorry for calling you so late. She refused to let me call Mary Margaret. Emma is a little scary when she's angry, and I've never seen someone so drunk get so mad."

Graham merely shook his head, and waved Ruby off. He had seen his deputy this drunk only once before, and Regina had held a hand in her angry drinking that time, he didn't seem a reason why this time would be any different. "It's fine, but we're going to cut her off before she ends up in the ER for alcohol poisoning. How much does she owe?"

Ruby yanked the tab she had been running for Emma out of her apron and looked at it. She frowned at Graham when she watched him reach for his wallet, "She's had a lot to drink."

Graham shrugged, "I'm not searching for her cash, and I highly doubt she is in any state to tell me where to locate it." He nodded his head in Emma's direction. Her head had lulled forward, her cheek laying against the cool counter top.

Ruby nodded, before chuckling, "I suppose you're right, Sheriff. Looks like her tab is standing at fifteen dollars and seventy-five cents."

Graham groaned, "I didn't know that a person could hold fifteen dollars of alcohol without passing out." He mumbled, before pulling a twenty from his wallet and handing it over to Ruby, "Just keep the change, Ruby. Figure you deserve a nice tip for keeping tabs on my deputy."

Ruby smiled broadly at Graham, "It wasn't a problem."

Graham smiled back, "Alright, guess I'll get her home now. Thanks again for calling me."

Ruby winked at Graham, before scampering off to check on her remaining customers.

Graham eyed Emma's nearly passed out form and groaned. "You just couldn't make this easy on me, could you, Emma?" He leaned over and grabbed a firm hold on her arm before pulling Emma to her feet.

Emma groaned, "All of this movement is making me motion sick."

Graham huffed, as he leaned down to pull her arm around his shoulder before placing his other around around her waist. "It's not motion sick, Emma, it's drunk too much whiskey sick. There is a slight difference," he ground out as he staggered both of them out the door of the diner. "Geez, Emma, you could gain a little control over your body." His breathing accelerated as he continued to carry more of her weight.

"Graham!" Emma shouted, "It's so pretty out tonight." A smile crossed her lips, as she pulled away from Graham's steady frame. "Look at all the stars! I never could see the stars in Boston. They shine so bright." Emma staggered slightly as she continued to look up to the sky.

Graham moved to stand closer to her, one steadying hand on her back, as he looked up at the sky with her. For a reason he couldn't place, he had never taken the time to do so before, at least as far as he could remember. He smiled as he looked at Emma from the corner of his eye. "Yeah, they're beautiful." He murmured softly, his Irish lilt becoming more noticeable.

"Mmhmm." Emma agreed, before turning her head toward Graham. "Has anyone told you that you are like sex on a stick?"

Graham couldn't help himself. He bent over double and held his stomach. His laughter was heavy and loud, and he had to admit that it felt amazing. Before Emma, he hadn't ever had a real reason to laugh. Sure, the women of Storybrooke had lingering looks, some had even did double takes, but no one had even come close to saying anything quite so...derogatory toward him before. The closest had been Ruby, and she hadn't even said anything to him...it was the looks, like she was undressing him with her eyes. Ever since Emma had arrived in Storybrooke, Graham had found himself laughing a little more, enjoying life just a bit more. He found reasons to smile, generally at something ridiculous Emma had said or done. This time was no different.

"What's so funny?" Emma slurred as she attempted to shove Graham. Her footing slipped, causing her to fall into Graham.

"Sex on a stick, Emma? I don't think I've ever heard anything so derogatory in my life. I also don't think I've heard anything more hilarious either."

Emma stared up at him, blue eyes meeting blue eyes. "I'm sorry, _Boss_, did I cross a line?" Her eyebrow raised slightly.

Graham licked his lips, he knew better. Emma wasn't in control of her emotions...or her body, and he knew that perusing Emma's advances would be equivalent to taking advantage of her. Graham knew that he couldn't do that. He tried to push Emma away from his body without her losing her balance.

"Oh, come on!" Emma groaned, "You've gotta be kidding me. What guy would turn down sex? No strings...what I can only assume would be amazing, sex?"

Graham smirked at her, "Me." He whispered, before pulling her arm around his shoulders again. "Now, let's get you home before you make a decision you'll regret."

Emma sighed, a frown etched on her face as she let Graham pull her along. "Why are we walking?" she mumbled.

"Because, Emma, fresh air could only help in sobering you up. Plus, I don't relish the thought cleaning puke out of the cruiser in the morning."

"I'm not going to throw up." Emma whined, "My feet hurt."

Graham sighed as he kept them moving, "I'm sorry, Emma, but you're the one that made the decision to get hammered tonight. You made the decision to not let Ruby call Mary Margaret. You're stuck with me, tonight."

Emma sighed, "You didn't even ask me why I did it."

Graham shrugged his shoulder awkwardly, "I figured if you wanted me to know, you'd tell me. Though, I did have it reduced down to Regina."

Emma nodded, "Why do I let her get to me like that?"

Graham just stared ahead for a moment. He didn't know how to answer that, if he was honest. He had never seen anyone before Emma get so angry at Regina. No one had ever talked back to Regina the way that Emma does, so he didn't have an answer.

"Well, sometime tonight would be amazing." Emma replied, when Graham remained quiet.

"To be honest, I have no idea. I've never witnessed anyone that ever made Regina's blood boil the way you do. Neither have I ever seen anyone talk to Regina the way you do. Everyone else is just kind of..."

"Afraid of her?" When Graham nodded, Emma chuckled, "Well I'm not. Regina is just a bitch. She doesn't scare me, she just pisses me off. The way she just dangles Henry in front of me. Like he's a freaking pawn in some really screwed up game of chess. I don't know, maybe it's just me?"

"It's not, Emma. I don't know what it is about you that makes her blood boil, but whatever it is has made her fly off the rails. She never used to be quite so..."

"Horrendous? Evil? Psychopathic? Witchy? Stop me when you've heard enough." Emma replied, dryly.

"Well, I don't know if I'd call her all of those..."

Emma saw the apartment building coming into view and she felt like she could stand on her own without falling over. She put a halting hand on Graham's chest. "Let me stop you there, Sheriff. I can make the rest of the trip on my own, and you are about to say words that will only piss me off at you. It's okay that I'm pissed at Regina, I don't have to work with her...thank God! However, I do have to drag my hungover ass out of bed to work with you tomorrow. Now trust me on this, tomorrow is going to be bad enough with the hangover, without you pissing me off. So, how about we call this goodnight, and leave it there."

Graham chuckled, "Alright. By the way, no one has ever told me that I am like _sex on a stick_."

Emma's head snapped toward Graham, as she glared at him. "That is between you and I, do you understand?" Her voice low.

Graham chuckled, "You don't scare me, Emma Swan. Goodnight," He waved, as he turned around.

"I swear to God, Graham! You better not breathe a word of that to anyone!"

"You have a goodnight too, Emma. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning. You bring the coffee, okay?" He grinned as he continued to stroll back toward his vehicle. He knew that he would hear about this in the morning, but at the moment it was the most fun he's had in his life...as far as he can remember.


End file.
